Until Then
by Konstantinsen
Summary: There is a fine line that defines the borders of friendship. Ruby skirts that and decides to confront her best friend as an attempt to put to rest her confusion...and perhaps test the waters for something more. [two-shot]
1. Boundaries

He stands there by the waterfront, tossing stones into the sea.

Ruby shuffles closer. Her hands are folded timidly over her waist while she struggles to raise her head from the weight of the point she wishes to express. Her cloak bristles loudly in the northern Mistrali breeze while she lets out a soft squeak after a leaf briefly scrapes against her cheek.

He doesn't seem to hear her.

Step by step. She inches closer.

Plop, plop, splash. Another pebble sinks to the seabed.

Ruby breathes deep. The tornado in her mind dies down. She clasps her hands together. The thumping in her chest drops. This needed to be said. She needed to confront it. There were options but among them, this one was the least painful way to move forward in the face of overwhelming adversity.

He stoops down, cups a stone, and whips it into the water. Plop, plop, splash.

She bites her lip.

"Jaune?"

He stops. And turns around. His face brightens in surprise. His golden tuft bristles with the Animan breeze. Piercing blue sapphires—those same orbs she saw more often than before—regard her curiously. His lips move and she hears him faintly.

Ruby finds it hard to breathe. This was harder than she thought. All confidence, all strength vaporized by an innocent glance from her..._best friend_.

His lips move again and this time, she registers.

"Ruby? You okay?"

She squeaks. "I'm fine!"

"Um, okay," he answers unevenly. He regards her more with concern. "Is there something on your mind?"

There were many things. Too many things. Too great. Too much. Too hard for her to vocalize in the less than three sentences Weiss had drilled her into practicing. This was beyond the romantic fantasies of Blake's books or the flirtatious insight offered by Yang's experience. Not even the unspoken bond between Ren and Nora could somehow explain to the young reaper how to go about this.

Might as well start with something. Small talk, yeah. That should get the ball rolling. With an awkward cough, she blurts out, "That was some kind of Grimm, huh."

Jaune agrees with her with a mirthful huff. "Yeah, it sure was. Thought we screwed up big time with Cordovin and all."

She shuffles her boot against the concrete. "Yeah, that was a mental breakdown."

"Surprised she got herself back together after that." He rubs the back of his head as he lets out a weak chuckle. "Never was able to say this back then because of all the Grimm but you did an amazing job. Couldn't have saved the day without you, heh."

Her heart flutters but she bites it down. She beams up at his compliment though. "Thanks. You too."

"Hey, I did my part," he shrugs.

"You helped a lot," she demurs.

"Everybody had their parts. Great teamwork and, well, like that one guy in B-Team said."

Ruby grins at the hint of the coming punchline. She stares up at him as he silently conveys the countdown. Three, two, one:

"_I love it when a plan comes together._"

They both laugh at their silliness, their voices having blended perfectly together. It warms her heart seeing how upbeat he is. She regains herself and quickly her mirth subsides, replaced by the point of her approaching him out here tonight. Her words are scrambled in her head and she glances away to get them in order.

"So...that was a thing," Jaune says, trying to keep the ball rolling.

Ruby hums back. She clears her throat yet cannot meet him the eye. Gods, why did this have to be so difficult? "Hey, uh, I need to talk to you about...some things."

"Okay," he grunts. "What is it?"

She struggles to find the words she memorized before. Ruby straightens the hem of her skirt and fiddles with the frays in her cloak until she mutters, "Me and you."

"What?"

An iota of confidence wells up inside her. "Me and you."

"What do you mean? Me and you?"

She looks up at him square at his pupils. "Me and you, Jaune. We need to talk it out."

For the first time in a long time, he flinches at her voice. Surprise caves in to fear then hesitation. He settles into an apprehensive mien as he adjusts himself against the balustrade. For a moment, it seems as though he knew exactly what she was going to say. Though that could be her mind playing with her wayward emotions again.

As it always had since they set out together those many months ago.

"Wha...what needs t-to be, uh, discussed?"

Ruby catches the struggle in his words and tries to see through him. His fear. His anxiety. His insecurities. Who he was and is now. And who will be when the times come to shear them bare.

"I've noticed," she starts. "It wasn't obvious at first. Probably because we both couldn't tell. But recently, I..."

She breathes deep to slow the drums in her heart.

"...I noticed what's going on. And I don't know what's going on."

Silence. She looks up to see him tightlipped and staring. He seems unsure.

Ruby bites her lip and continues. "The way you look at me sometimes. I noticed. Whenever we were camping out or lodging at the places we've passed by, you were there helping me get used to being on the road... You were always giving hints when I was learning to cook, you always went shopping with me, you... You were always beside me. You held my hand...and I held yours. It felt so natural. Then...you and I, we...held each other more and more. It felt weird but great..."

"Ruby, I..."

She stops. And waits. And listens.

But he stutters. And bites his tongue. Jaune stands there, sputtering air until he gives up and says, "Yeah. I noticed, too. Was I that obvious?"

"Well...you cried for me."

He blinks in surprise. "What? I—"

She shakes her head. "You cried for me. You were happy for me when we got back together from the train. You really, really cared. And I...I felt so happy and glad and, and..."

Something trickles down her cheeks. She wipes her whole face with her sleeve.

"...I'm so happy you cared for me. I'm glad you were there waiting for me. I..."

Cold steel brushes against her skin. The feel of the metal shocks her back to him only to catch his smile hovering down at her. Something glistens in his eyes over the curve of his lips. He rubs away the last of her tears and rests his gauntleted hand on her shoulder.

"I always was. I always am," he tells her. "You kept your promise. That means a lot to me."

She smiles. Only briefly. Then she asks, "What does that make us?"

He opens his mouth to give the automatic answer. Suddenly, he stops. His jaw clamps shut and his smile vanishes. His hand slips away as he glances at the sidewalk. He searches for answers among the cobblestones as she searches his for a hint.

Catching none, Ruby steels herself. Her fists tighten and she stiffens. Her throat is tight but her voice carries through. "We can't just be friends, Jaune."

Now he chokes. "Wh-what do you mean? Wh-why—"

"I feel like we could be something more."

He stops. He studies her.

"But I don't think now is a good time. And I'm not sure if things will work out the way I want—_no_." She shakes her head. "The way it's supposed to go."

He grabs her arms and stoops close to her face. "Ruby, what are you saying?"

She reaches up and cups his elbows. "I want to be more than friends, Jaune! I want to be more than that. But I don't know if I really want to...and I don't want to force you if you don't feel the same way."

There! She said it. She said her peace. Now smite her.

Ruby stands there, keeping false interest with the concrete. She knows what they are. She knows the risks of going ahead with this and how much she would lose if this goes the other way. So the reaper waits in front of him, unable to meet his gaze while she feels his fingers slip off her arms.

"... Ruby," Jaune croaks. "You mean so much to me. I guess I was right about myself being too obvious and all that."

She chuckles for some reason. He does to.

"... Honestly, I..." He struggles to speak. "...I can't help myself. You're amazing for you. I can't... The truth is... I _want_ to be closer to you."

The reaper looks up to the knight. He wanted to be closer to her? He feels the same way? He had to, right? She searches his face for an answer, instead finding him sharing her confusion, her yearning, her indecision. She holds his hands. "We can be more than friends."

His fingers wrap around hers. "Then what's stopping you?"

Ruby lets out a pained sigh. "Saving the world."

Jaune deflates. But he still holds onto her. "Can't both go hand in hand?"

"I...I don't think they can." She breathes into his palms. Then leans into him. "Not with the way things are. Salem will use everything in her power to stop us. Destroy us. And...and if she can't destroy us, she can break us."

Ruby did not need to say exactly how. Jaune knows. They both understood.

The haunting memory of a burning javelin spearing through Weiss was more than enough.

He wraps his arms around her and pulls her in. She completes the circle, tugging tight at his waist. The two of them stand there within each other, listening to the seagulls squawk over the waves lapping at the city's waterfront.

It feels good. It feels _right_. It feels...too early, too soon, too much for where they were at in this point in their adventure. Or whatever it was that their lives had spiraled into.

They can be more. But could she truly spend that future with him? Caring for him? A family? Offspring? It was hard to imagine. Hard to stomach, maybe. She was happy how they were. How he stood by her side, how he complimented her for her quirks, how he was one of the very few people who actually understood her for her.

Jaune was her..._best friend_. As she was to him. However, that could change. Perhaps not now, not tonight, not anytime soon. Things may drive them apart but they could never stay that way for long. They could grow closer but can they go beyond that line?

"I'm happy with the way we are," she says into his shoulder.

"Me too," he mumbles over her hair.

"I want to try being more."

"Me too."

"But I don't think now is the time."

"Yeah, I think so too."

They let go. Ruby smiles warmly at him partially to hide her prevailing indecision. "Yeah. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, huh. Until then..."

Jaune beams at her though a bit of sadness trickles through. "... Until then, we're best friends."

He releases her fingers from her palm. They peer back at the sea now darkened with the onset of evening. A moment later, the street lamps flicker to life across the waterfront. It is time to head back to prepare for their departure for Atlas tomorrow.

Ruby sees Jaune glancing down her hip. She makes no effort to hide her hands, swaying back and forth with each step. He decides against holding hers. Side by side, they walk back to the apartment in downtown Argus under the glittering starlit sky. They savor the wordless stroll knowing that tomorrow, they would be in Atlas where moments such as these would be rarer.

* * *

**ORIGINALLY DRAFTED: April 16, 2019**

**LAST EDITED: April 22, 2019**

**INITIALLY UPLOADED: April 22, 2019**

**Nine Days Of Lancaster 2019 theme: '_Best friends first, lovers later_'**


	2. Supply Run

Ruby lounges on the cushioned seat of the Atlesian military supply truck.

Over a week of daily supply runs have taken their toll on her enthusiasm and she is not keen on another three hours of monotonous, near uneventful riding across the vast Solitas tundras. Her hopes for a good day hinge on the moments of excitement brought about by a herd of Grimm sniffing out their scents or an environmental blockage that needs to be cleared.

A voice in the back of her head chides her for hoping for something so sinister as a Grimm attack but she blows raspberries at her own reflection on her scroll. She would gladly take anything to offset the inevitable boredom that would surely follow. After all, the work of a professional Huntress was not often wrought with life-threatening excitement or adrenaline-pumping action.

She wonders who she would be partnered with today. Hopefully Penny; the sentient robot girl had often found entertainment in the most mundane things. Or maybe Weiss; she could spent some time bonding with her partner, after all. Perhaps Yang or Blake; though either of them were probably rotated onto a job that needed explosive fists or a chase between alleyways. Perhaps Jaune, Ren, or Nora. Then again, who could tell really? The rotations were often random.

Clunk. Clunk.

Ruby ignores the noise of the Atlesian robotic footman assigned to chauffeur these supplies to Amity Colosseum several miles away. Other than Penny, Ruby has no desire to listen to the lifeless, wordless, mechanical droning of a preprogrammed android whose most advanced combat function was pulling the trigger on the automatic rifle it was given.

She checks her scroll for the tenth time and groans. She had been forced awake an hour before dawn to prepare for the day's missions only to be left hanging in the motor pool. Whoever it was would be rotated to accompany her on this job, they sure took their sweet time.

Thump. Thump.

Ruby glances to the figure emerging into the garage, hopefully her partner—

"Oh, hey, Rubes."

She straightens in her seat. "Hey, Jaune. You're assigned with me?"

Jaune nods. "Supply run, yeah."

"Not chaperoning kids to school this time?" Ruby teases, easing to the side.

Her...best friend...chuckles, pulling himself into the open seat next to her. "Wow. Feels a little...weird to be riding shotgun on these things."

Weird. Funny, how that word works nowadays. Ruby breaths deep and banishes all thoughts of their conversation on Argus not too many days ago. "You have everything you need with you?"

"Yep."

Ruby nearly asks who else would be coming along but she remembers that this week had them separated in smaller units to accompany the increasing number of convoys setting out for Amity. Instead, she twiddles her thumbs and asks, "Sure you didn't forget anything?"

"Nope."

"Alright then."

Jaune pulls the door closed and the android maneuvers their vehicle out of the depot. He jumps at the inertia and chuckles when he realizes he had bumped his shoulder against his...best friend.

"Seatbelt, Vomit Boy?"

"Fine, fine, Crater Face."

And the two of them buckle up with some of their usual banter as the truck rumbles out onto the streets of Mantle and eventually into the open, hostile frozen landscape of Solitas.

* * *

Ten minutes after their conversation peters out, Jaune feels a pressure on his shoulder. Startled out of his musings, he turns to find a mop of strawberry hair rasping softly against bevor of his armor. Clouds of her breath warms his chin and he inwardly feels his stomach twist from the perfume that Ruby had purchased on the only shopping trip she had been allowed to go on since their arrival into the kingdom. The sound of her 'snoring' tingles his ears and he adjusts himself to accommodate her fully without waking her up.

He wonders if his new cologne would wake her up so he stays still.

Instead, she naps undisturbed. So he eases his arm over her shoulder and rests his hand against her side. He had never known Ruby to be a morning person; back in Beacon, and even when they traversed the verdant forested mountains of Anima, the girl beside him greatly cherished her hours of sleep, whining ever so often when it was time to face the day.

His mind lingers to those moments when they would share idle chat over a campfire, those heartbeat instances where they coordinated their tactics to smash some Grimm, the idle minutes they had spent geeking out over comics, video games, and gossip for nerds. He realizes that those days are so distant now, and whatever time they had outside of their work as licensed Huntsmen were spent lying in their bunks waiting for the pain in their muscles to subside.

Jaune smiles at his reflection in the glass.

They had grown up so fast, as a doting parent would say. He unconsciously pats Ruby's head as she shifts against his side. Minutes later, he too starts to feel the drowsiness creeping in. Damn it, Marrow; that coffee was his only energizer.

Bump!

The truck jumps, jolting Jaune and Ruby awake. They glance at each other for a split second before clipping off their seatbelts as the vehicle grinds to a halt. The android remains in place, robotic arms locked over the steering wheel. In seconds, the pair burst outside with their weapons drawn, expecting a Grimm attack or an ambush by raiders.

Nothing.

Nothing but snow crunching loudly under their heels and penguins hooting in the distance.

"What was that?" Ruby asks, scanning their surroundings.

"I don't know," Jaune replies, cautiously rounding the truck. Then he spots it. "Oh crap."

She dashes to his side and sees the damage. The rear tire punctured, deflated, and partially dug into the dirt. The cause stared at them a few feet away; a jutting piece of jagged bedrock unearthed by the Solitas winds. The two sweep around the perimeter until they are confident of no further threats.

Ruby collapses her scythe and Jaune sheathes his sword. The two of them huddle over the source of their predicament.

"Should we call it in?" he asks.

"Yeah," she answers.

Jaune pulls out his scroll and sends a text to Clover, their supervisor and direct superior. Flat tire. Convoy stalled. Please advise.

The response comes a minute later: spare tire in back of truck, tools under passenger seat, assess and repair if possible. Otherwise, cancel job and await relief.

"You think General Ironwood's in a good mood today?" Jaune wonders fearfully.

Ruby gulps. "Nope."

"You think he'd take this as an excuse?"

"Nope."

He sighs. "Thought so. Time to get our hands dirty then."

She follows him to the back of the truck. He rummages through the various construction materials until he finds the aforementioned spare tire lodged at the very bottom. Rolling it out, Ruby catches it before it bounces away. The size of the wheel alone nearly topples her and Jaune grabs both her and the tire in time.

"You alright?"

Ruby remembers the last time she was this close to him. That was months ago, in the forests of Anima. She blinks away those memories; best focus on the job. "I'm fine, thanks."

She dusts herself off and helps him roll the wheel over to the side of the truck.

"So...you've done something like this before?" she inquires.

He shakes his head. "Not as often as I would've liked. You?"

"I'm a weapons nut more than a car mechanic."

That puts him in a predicament that is all too familiar. Jaune adjusts his belt and kneels before the damaged wheel. "Okay. First thing's first. We have to get this off."

Ruby bends down next to him close enough that he could smell the dissipating fragrance of her morning perfume. "How do we do that?"

Jaune shakes off his distractions. "Hand me the carjack."

"Uh...which one is it?"

"That one right there."

Ruby lugs over a heavyset steel box that she unlatches open, pulling out the jack that Jaune pieces together. He then shoves it under the chassis then stops to wipe the sweat already dripping down his temple.

"Maybe I should try," she suggests.

Jaune rolls to the side. "You know how to use it?"

"Looks simple enough." She grips the lever. "I have just have to keep working this and it'll push it up, right?"

"Pretty much."

Ruby grunts with every heave. Slowly, the truck inches off the ground, allowing Jaune to slip his hands over the punctured rubber wheel. He tugs then spins it around before remembering the next important step in replacing a flat tire.

"Forgot about the lug nuts."

"I thought you've done this before."

"It's been awhile, okay? Hand me the wrench."

She drags herself out from underneath the vehicle. "There's a lot of wrenches here."

"Look for the one that looks like a plus sign."

They keep at this, passing tools and instructions and slowly removing the bolts holding the wheel in place. By the time it comes off, Ruby is beaming in elation—after all, she had never partaken in any sort of car maintenance before, most of it done by her dad. Jaune laughs at her excitement before reminding her that they still had to put in the spare.

She pouts, clearly a tease. And he laughs, knowing the pattern between them. In the back of his mind, a voice pleads that he elevate the levity but he shuts it down. They were out in the middle of the tundra, exposed to the elements, exposed to whatever undetected threat was lurking out there; this was not the time and place for such things.

Jaune plasters on a smile even as his fingers are intertwined with Ruby's, guiding her hands in their combined effort to fasten the new tire into place. Replacing the lug nuts, removing the jack, and putting back all the tools, these tasks go by under the din conversation with the blond guiding his...best friend...through the process.

Eventually, they return to their spots in the passenger's seat, panting and sweating and their hands covered in dirt and grime. As the android starts up the engine and resumes their journey, Ruby pokes at his cheek.

"Ruby?"

"You got something there."

Jaune rubs his hand over his jaw. "Is it still there?"

Ruby giggles then wipes away the rest of the oil from his face with her own hand. "Nope."

He smiles at her, tingling at faint residue of her fingers gracing his skin. "Thanks. You also got something on you."

Her laugh stops as she goes wide-eyed. She snaps at her translucent reflection in the windshield. "Oh my gosh, where!?"

Jaune gets her back by rubbing away a bit of grease from her bottom lip. "Got it."

She pouts again. This time, her cheeks are redder than usual.

He sits back and laughs, sparking up another topic of conversation and hoping that his own cheeks were not as red as hers.

* * *

Ruby gargles awake as the truck recovers from another speed bump. She blinks away her drowsiness and glances around, feeling something trickling down her lip. How embarrassing. She wipes the drool off her chin only to find more of it dribbling down the bevor guarding Jaune's collar.

Jaune, for his part, had drifted off to sleep himself, his head pressed against the glass pane of the window. She rubs off her spittle, caring not to wake him. Then she notices it: a strand of his trimmed, spiky, gelled hair dips over his forehead. Ruby tilts her head and reaches upward to straighten it out.

"Hnn~...eh? Huh?"

She pulls back when he wakes up. "Sorry."

"Rubes? Are we...? We're not there yet, are we?"

"Nope." She twists against her seatbelt to face him fully. "Hold still."

He does, confused.

Ruby dabs her finger on her tongue and reaches back up to smooth the spires of his blond hair until they no longer droop above his eyebrows. Then she pulls back and asks, "Well?"

Jaune sputters. He fidgets in his spot, feeling a little warm in the ears. "Uh, th-thanks."

She smiles back at him. "What about me? Is my do slouching?"

He hesitantly assesses her hair. Then, with a lick of his own finger, leans over to prop up a nip over her scalp, mimicking Yang's infamous little crescent peaking her mane. "There we go."

"Thanks. Works much better in the cold."

"Tell me about it."

"Still getting flak for the do, huh."

"Eh, I figured I needed a new look. Besides, hair was getting in my eyes."

Ruby flashes him a rather mature look of satisfaction that she thought she could never pull off. "Well, I say it looks good on you."

Jaune smugly compliments her flutter with his own. "In that case, you look more beautiful than before."

"Why thank y-...you..." She inches back as he rears away, both of them having realized what he just said. "Y-you...really think so?"

"Um...I, uh, you see..." He deflates and hangs his head in shame. "Yeah. You do."

She unconsciously spins around a strand of her hair. "I mean...you really thought I was beautiful? Before?"

Jaune finds it difficult to breathe the air between. "No! I mean, yes! Wait, no, I meant that you're always beautiful! You're...you're really attractive and I...I think you're...I think you're—"

"I think you're handsome, too," she blurts out.

He pauses.

She gulps. "You've always been handsome."

He swallows the lump in his throat. "... You've always been beautiful."

The android beeps, as it does on occasion, but they both ignore it.

"I'm sorry—"

"No, it's fine. I'm sorry—"

"We can't keep doing this."

"We have more important things to take care of."

And now they find each other too difficult to comprehend. Their eyes shift to anything but the person next to them. The game ends when Ruby inches her hand to her right until she wraps her fingers around Jaune's gauntleted fist resting over his lap.

He chokes out her name in surprise but she ignores him. She refuses to look at him, instead too occupied with the memories of their agreement in Argus. One that she is trying so desperately to uphold. Alas, she squeezes his hand.

"Let me have this," she begs him. "Please..."

He relents. And reciprocates by squeezing hers. After a while, he whispers, "Come 'ere."

Ruby edges towards him, pushing against the restraints of her seatbelt, and leans against his side, her head on the cold pauldron guarding his shoulder. She savors it, much more when his arm once again arcs behind her neck to rest on her side, tugging her closer.

"I want this war to be over," she mewls.

He rubs his cheek on her scalp. "Me too."

* * *

**ORIGINALLY DRAFTED: May 29, 2020**

**LAST EDITED: June 1, 2020**

**INITIALLY UPLOADED: June 1, 2020**

**Nine Days of Lancaster 2020 theme: '_Road Trip_'**

**NOTE: Sappy, I know.**


End file.
